Draft gear mechanism



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J. C. WHITRIDGE DRAFT GEAR MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 3, 1931 Dec. 26, 1933.- J. c. WHITRIDGE DRAFT GEAR MECHANISM Filed Oct. 3, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 26, 1933.

J. c. WHITRIDGE DRAFT GEAR MECHANISM Filed Oct. 3, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 WEDGE BEARING COUPLER BUTT BEARlNG FRONT FOLLOWER [Ill llx 40 .of the same, with the yoke Patented Dec. 26, 1933 FF C DRAFT GEAR MECHANISM John C.'Whitridge, Columbus, Ohio, assignor o The Buckeye Steel Castings Company,'Columbus, Ohio Application. October 3 1931. Serial 566,737

- Claims. (01. 213-422) This invention relates to carcoupler mechanism-ofthe selective .travel draft gear type.

It is well' known that'mechanism of this type has about twice as much spring action orshock 5 absorbing ability in buff as in pull, and'the pri- 7 mary object ofthe .invention is 'to provide a novelmechanism for this purpose.

Some mechanismof this character employs front stoplugswhich cooperate with the front follower of the draft gear, and such lugs have heretofore been arranged parallel to the draft sills. Another object of'this invention is to provide front stops which will extend transversely from one side sill to the. other, so as to mutually reinforce-one another, as well as the front end of the under structure of the car.

Another object is to furnish a-mechanism of this character, in which the draft yoke consists mainly ofa'pair of slotted side links having reinforcements'at certain ends of its slots.

A further object is to combine with such links,

a spring retaining strap which is keyed to the links. r p

Another object is to provide a back stop of special design'having upper and'lower forwardly projecting stop surfaces which cooperate with the yieldingelements of thedraft: gear mechanism.

With theforegoing objects outlinedand with 30, "other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

and more particularly pointed out in'the append.-' 35.1.ed claims. I 1 a 1 In the drawings,

:Fig. l is'atop plan View partly in longitudinal horizontal section of my improved mechanism."

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view I links and'draft gear shown 'in' elevation.

Fig.3 is a view similar to Fig.2, but showing portions of the draft gear housing in vertical longitudinal section, with certainpartsi'omittedr frontyielding elements 4* and the front stops to avoid repetition.

.Fig. 4 is a front elevation partly in transverse vertical section, the section being taken on the:

line 4-4 of Fig. 2. 1

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the front follower and a transverse sectional view of the yoke links.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a coudisposed key 3.

-: The rear ends of the links are connected to the links as shown at 7;

. by-means of a transverse key 5.

The side links have forward slots 6 which accommodate the key 3 during its travel through the distance A duringbuff. The key bears at the front ends of the slots 6, and the bearing surfaces at these points are extended by thickening Key 5 passes through's'iots 8 in the rear ends of the links,= and each of theseslots is slightly larger than the key 5, which bears at the rear ends of the slots. At these ends of the slots, the links are thickened by lateral projections 9. As the draft gear housing 4 fills the space between the side links, the reinforcements 9 are projected outwardly away from said housing; This necessitates slotting the arms of a' spring retainer .is-of tubular formyand accommodates the yielding elements 4 EA striker 16 has cast follower stops 17, and thecoupler carrier 18.

integral with it, the'front' is the usual wear plate on which the'coupler shank rests: At this pointit will be noted that the front stops 17 are quite different from those used heretofore, in-that they-extend from one webl3 to the other, instead of vertical and parallel to the Webs of the sills, as in the known constructions.

'The backstop 20 is also somewhat different from the conventional construction, in that the bufling forces from'the rear wedge blocks 15 are taken by top and bottom forwardly extending stop surfaces 21, instead of on the center line where the recess 22 is now placed. Such recess accommodates the rear endofthe strap 11 and clearanceis provided betwe'ensaid strap and the forward face of the recess 22.

A front follower 23*is interposed between the 17, and from Fig. 5'itwill be'notedthat each of the lateral edgesofthe follower is provided with f a medialnotch -24- to accommodate theside links 2. A carrier strap 25 is bolted to the sills 13, and carries the front follower 23-and the front end of the draft gear 4. Another carrier 26 supports the rear end of the draft gear.

In order to assemble the parts, the following procedure is practiced: The side links 2, the

follower 23 and the spring retaining strap 11 are first placed in position, the draft gear 4 is then raised into position between the side links, and the key 5 is inserted. The carrier straps and 26 are then bolted to the sills 13 after which the coupler shank 1 is placed in the striker, and the key 3 is inserted through the slots 10 in the sills.

It will be observed. that the key slot of the coupler is only slightly longer than the key 3, while the ends of the slots 10 project both forwardly. and rearwardly of the edges of the key.

The operation of the assembled parts is as follows:

In pull, the force is transmitted-from the cou-. pler 1 to the side links 2 throughthe key 3, thence:

car body will be caused to move forwar In'buff, the force is transmitted through the following parts in order: From the shank l to the front follower 23, to the internal mechanism of the housing-4, to rear stops 21 of the back stop 20, thence to the sills and car body. Both di mensions A and B are thus reduced. 'When dimension B- is reduced, the draft gear housing forces the key 5 rearwardly, thus moving the side links 2 an equal'amount to the reduction of .dimension B. The slots 12 in the spring retaining straps, 11 are sufficiently, long to permit the key 5 to move rearwardly an amount equal to dimension B without moving the spring retaining strap 11 rearwardly From the foregoing it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of the invention may be readily understood by those; skilled in the art, and it may be stated that the terms and expressions employed herein are used as,

'?-terms of description and not of limitation and there is nointention in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any mechanical equivalents of the features shown and described:

or portions thereof, but it is recognized that vari- 5033ous structural modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed. 7

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure'by Letters-Pat'- ent, is:- i

' l. A car coupler mechanism comprising a coupler shank, yoke side links, a key-connecting the shank andside links and movable in the links on buiha double-acting draft gear extending between the links and having front and rear yielding elements, draft sills, front follower stops connected to said sills, afront follower-between saidstops and the front yielding elements,;a=back stock joining said sills, a retainer strapfor retaining certain of said yielding'elements in as- :sembled relation, and a key connectingthelinks,

draft gear and strap and movable in thestrap; on buff, the last mentioned-key, in cooperation with the side links and front follower stops, op,- crating only the front yielding elements of ,the

draft gear during pull. v

2. A car coupler mechanism comprising a coupler shank, yoke side links, a key connecting the shank and side links and movable in the links on buff, a double-acting draft gear extending between the links and having front and rear yielding elements, draft sills, front follower stops connected to said sills, a front follower between said stops and the front yielding. elements, a back stop joining said sills, a retainer strap for retaining certain "of said yielding elements in assembled relation, and a key connecting the links, draft gear and strap and movable in the strap on buff, the last mentioned key, in cooperation with the side links and front follower stops, operating only the front-yielding elements of the draft gear during pull, the'flfront follower stops extending horizontally from one sill to the other.

3. A car coupler mechanism comprising a couplenshank, yoke side links, a key connecting the shank and side links and movable in the links on buff, a double-acting draft gear extending bietween-the links and having front and rear yielding' elements, draft sills, front follower stops connected to said sills, a front followerbetweenl said'stops and the front yielding elements, a back stop joining said sills, a retainenstrap for ,re-

taining certain ofsaid yielding elements in assembled relation, and a keyconnecting the links, draft gear and strap and movable in the strap on buff, the last mentioned key, in cooperation with the side links and front follower stops, operating only the front yielding elements of .the'draft gear during pull, the front follower havingnotched side edges to accommodate said links.

4. A car coupler mechanism comprising a coupler shank, yoke side links, a key connecting the shank and'side links and movable in the links on buff, a double-acting draft gearextending between the'links and having front and rear yielding elements, draft sills,'front follower. stops connected to said sills, a front follower between said stops and the front yielding elements, a back stop joining said sills, a retainer strap for retaining certain of said yielding elements-in assembled relation, and a key connecting the links, draft gearJand strap and movable in the strapon buff,

thelast mentioned key, in cooperation withzthe, side links and front follower stops, operating only;

the :front yielding elements'of the draft gearlduring-pull, said back stop having its forward face" to'said sills, a front follower between'saidstops;

and the front yieldingelements, a back stop joining said sills, a'retainer strap for retaining-certain of said yielding elements inassembled re-t;

lation, a key connecting thelinks, draft gearand strap and movable, in the strap, on buff the last mentionedfkey', incooperation with the side links,

and front follower stops, operating only the front:

yielding elements of the draft gearj during pull,

and'carriers bolted to theside sills and supporting;

the draft gear and front follower.

JOHN c. WHITRI-DGEA 

